Culture for All Service has been awarded 185,000 euros to bring diversity and culture activities to municipalities on a national level. Let's move towards a more equitable society together.

“The national development task to be financed now is the third national development task to be implemented. It focuses on the challenge of cultural diversity in the cultural activities of municipalities. The task is thematically and functionally both important and topical and does not overlap with previous development tasks” says Minister of Science and Culture, Petri Honkonen, quoted in The Ministry of Education and Culture’s news release (12.12.2022).

​The goal of the project Diversity as a starting point for municipalities' art and culture activities in 2025 is to respond to the need on the municipal side for increasing diversity and equality expertise by, among other things, offering training, consultancy and other support to cultural activities of the municipalities as well as  art and culture professionals working in municipalities.  The diversity agent network and cultural diversity and sustainable development dialogue cards developed by The Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM) and The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) are used throughout the project in the training and consulting activities. 

Five main components of the project

1. Diversity training for municipal cultural workers
   a.) Short online clinics on various themes for cultural actors in municipalities
   b.) A longer diversity course, tailored for those working in municipal cultural activities
2. Use dialogue cards to strengthen the equality and inclusion within municipalities
3. Pilot the municipalities' accountability partnership program
4. Further train diversity agents and strengthen their network
5. Communication campaign
   
   

Diversity as a starting point for municipalities' art and culture activities in 2025 will provide inclusive and engaging programs on a national level and support diversity agents as well as train  diversity officers. 

All of our initiatives respond to the core questions of ‘Does this promote diversity, inclusion and equity in the art and culture sector?’ and ‘Does this move us towards dismantling structural racism and discovering our own implicit biases as well as within municipal authorities, regional councils, and governments?’ As we enter the collaboration from the perspective of wanting to actively listen, be empathetic, be critical, and honest, we hope to reach people on a personal level, which will then create a wave of positive change towards a more inclusive and equitable society where all people belong. 

The project is implemented by the Culture for All Service. The project is financed by The Ministry of Education and Culture. The project runs from January 2023 to December 2024.

Contact informationArlene Tucker
Project Director and Diversity Expert, Culture for All Service
arlene.tucker@cultureforall.fi
+358 451 160 518

https://www.kulttuuriakaikille.fi/diversity_in_municipalities

I'm very happy to be a part of GAP ART SUMMIT 2022. You can join me for a presentation about Diversity Agents and then have a consultation session with us AND/OR participate in the panel discussion Towards Inclusive Leadership in the Nordic Art Field Nordic arts and cultural specialists and managers will discuss how directors can become change makers for inclusion and diversity. 

GAP ART SUMMIT 2022 is the first in a series of art conferences organised by Globe Art Point in collaboration with the association’s partners and stakeholders. This year’s summit has been organised together with Luckan Helsingfors and supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland and The Culture and Leisure Division of The City of Helsinki and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

The core mission of Globe Art Point is advocating cultural equity, diversity and inclusion in the arts and cultural sector in Finland. G.A.P also serves as an information centre and meeting point for artists, cultural workers and arts & cultural institutions in Finland.
Luckan Helsingfors is the Finland-Swedish Information and Cultural Centre in Helsinki – is a private operator serving the population of the capital region of Finland and representing the Finland-Swedish culture and society within the region.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE 12.9.2021!
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Diversity Agents address a range of challenging and crucial issues such as structural racism, lack of equality and accessibility. As change makers and organizers, Diversity Agents offer ways to reflect, to develop tools, and to implement ways we can work towards a more equitable society. In this second edition of the Diversity Agent course special attention is given to recognizing structural racism and introducing anti-racist practices. The course encompasses lectures, meetings, and a diversity training clinic in collaboration with a local arts and culture organization.

Culture for All Service is partnering with Globe Art Point (G.A.P.) to bring the Diversity Agent 2.0 course to a wider audience across Finland. The course is coordinated by Culture for All Service, an organization committed to equity, inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity in all its activities and in the recruitment of new staff, and the organization supports the Finnish art and culture field in these issues. Culture for All Services and G.A.P. support all genders and people belonging to different minorities, regardless of e. g. gender or gender identity, ethnic background, potential disabilities, religion or age.

Target Group
Diversity Agent 2.0 Course is open for professionals of all art and culture fields, both those working as freelancers and those working or employed within arts and culture institutions.

We are looking for people with a professional background in the arts and culture and a keen interest in anti-racist practices and diversity. The course language is English; knowledge of the Finnish language can be useful but is not a requirement, and we also welcome applicants with knowledge of other languages. Those with experiences and/or an education from outside of Finland are also appreciated.

For this course we encourage applicants with migrant and foreign backgrounds or people belonging to language and cultural minorities.

Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to offer tools for developing anti-racist practices and diversity in the arts and culture sector.

After the course, participants
+ will be familiar with key concepts such as anti-racism, diversity, equality, accessibility, norm criticism, structural racism and inclusion,
+ will have knowledge about the arts and culture sector in Finland as well as cultural policy,
+ will have tools and techniques required in facilitating a process of change towards a more diverse and equitable arts and culture field,
+ will know how to identify racist structures and how to address them in the workplace,
+ will have met experts in the field of arts and culture, diversity, anti-racism, equity and organizational change, and
+ will have practical and firsthand experience of strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Arts and Culture Sector.

Course Content
The course introduces participants to topics and practices related to anti-racism and applying a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in an institutional context. Participants will become familiar with current issues and debates within the arts and culture sector and cultural policy in Finland related to diversity and equity. The course encompasses virtual meetings, seminars and lectures as well as facilitating an online diversity training clinic with an arts and culture institution. The aim is to provide participants with practical and immediately applicable antiracist tools and to build a network of arts and culture organizations and Diversity Agents.

The diversity training clinic provides an opportunity for Diversity Agents to meet with a local arts and culture organization to discuss ways to implement diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism practices within the organization.

Implementation
Participation is limited to 10 people, and it is free of charge. The course is held remotely via Microsoft Teams. Active attendance is required upon admittance to the course.

The call for Diversity Agent 2.0 Course opens September 1st and the deadline to apply is on September 12th. You are informed via email of your acceptance by September 19th.

Application form link: 
https://forms.gle/vRRJN8X7Va5qE7mY6

Please fill out the online application form by September 12, 2021. Send your CV (mandatory) to Arlene Tucker, Diversity Agent 2.0 course coordinator and portfolio (optional) at arlene.tucker@cultureforall.fi. 

Write your application in English.